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Tennessee Nips Auburn For SEC Title An 80th minute goal by sophomore forward Emily Redberg gives Tennessee its third SEC Tournament title as the 13th-ranked Lady Vols triumphed over Auburn, 1-0, in the finals at the Orange Beach Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon. “I would first like to congratulate Auburn on a great tournament and a very tough performance today,” SEC Co-Coach of the Year Angela Kelly said. “They were a different team than what we saw in Knoxville two weeks ago. I am so proud of my team in the way that they executed the game plan in the second half. We played a quick one- and two-touch rhythm and were dynamic up top. We won the 50/50 balls in the midfield and were so solid in the back. We possessed the ball so well and this will be great for us to build on for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.” Tennessee (13-5-2, 10-1 SEC) moved on to the championship match via a 4-3 shootout over # 20 Vanderbilt after the two squads battled to a scoreless tie. The sixth-seed Auburn won its way into the final with victories over third-seed and # 16 Florida, 2-1, and seventh-seed Kentucky, 2-0. Redberg (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) got the ball in the penalty box and fired on goal, where Auburn goalkeeper Anna Fiser stopped the first attempt. But the sophomore controlled the rebound and then punched it past Fiser at 79:34 for her fourth goal of the season and second of the year against the Tigers. Tennessee’s defense was outstanding, setting a new team record by not allowing a goal in the last 411 minutes of play, topping the mark set earlier this season in a five-match stretch. Senior goalkeeper Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart (Vernon, Conn.) got her 32nd career shutout, moving to one behind Auburn’s Megan Rivera in conference The Lady Vols (14-5-2) dominated the second half of play from the start, getting four good looks at goal in the first four minutes. SEC All-Freshman Team forward Jackie Acevedo (Austin, Texas) took the first opportunity in the first minute, having her shot from 17 yards out blocked by the Auburn (8-12-1) defense. Sophomore forward Hayley Prendergast (Hingham, Mass.) tried next, having her seven-yard punch saved by Fiser after a freshman Kylee Rossi (Pennington, N.J.) cross. The 48th minute saw an indirect kick by junior defender Jenny Jeffers (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and a cross by Rossi across the six get cleared by the Tigers. Finally the barrage ended in the 49th minute, as Prendergast fired a shot from 17 yards out that went right. Tennessee kept the pressure on Auburn in the 53rd as Rossi had a tap from eight yards out that Fiser snagged. Two minutes later, first team All-SEC midfielder Ali Christoph (Columbus, Ohio) drove a laser toward goal from the top of the box, but the ball stayed high. The UT defense had an excellent second half, allowing no shots in the period, marking the eighth time the team accomplished that feat this season. The Tigers did have one look in the second half, as Kori Hoelscher tried to tap a nice cross into the box past Phillips-Bosshart, but the ball missed her foot by inches and went over the goal line. Just before Redberg’s tally, freshman midfielder Véronique Maranda had a flick in the 76th minute go high, while first team All-SEC forward Genna Gorman (Lakewood, Colo.) had her shot from the right wing go high in the 79th minute. In the match, Tennessee held a 22-5 advantage in shots and took eight corner kicks to Auburn’s two. Top of PageLady Railsplitters Win Gulf South Title Heloisa de Oliveira’s goal in the 26th minute was all of the offense twenty-third ranked and second seed Lincoln Memorial needed as the Lady Railsplitters claimed their first Gulf South Conference title since 1997 with a 1-0 victory over third-ranked and top seed West Florida on Sunday at the Brosnaham Soccer Complex. Lincoln Memorial won their only previous conference title with a 2-0 win over West Florida in 1997 in Pensacola. West Florida loss for the first time this season as the Argonauts 23-match unbeaten streak, which had stretched back to the start of the 2004 season, also came to an end. Lincoln Memorial improves to 16-2-1, while West Florida falls to 18-1-2. Both teams will advance to next week’s NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. A decision on the site of the tournament will be determined on Monday evening. West Florida is currently ranked first in the South Region, and the NCAA has accepted the university’s bid to host the region tournament. Oliveira’s goal came in the 26th minute as she dribbled through the Argonaut defense and scored unassisted past West Florida goalkeeper Klara Vrbova. In the second half, West Florida peppered Lady Railsplitter goalkeeper Stephanie Kwoka with 15 shots, but Kwoka held her ground. Her biggest save of the match, and perhaps the season, came in the 64th minute. After Mauricia Nicholson was awarded a penalty kick, Kwoka moved to her right to save the shot and protect the Lincoln Memorial lead. West Florida appeared to tie the match in the 88th minute, but a goal was waived off on an offsides call. Kwoka earned the victory with five saves. Vrbova suffered her first loss of the season after collecting three saves. For West Florida, CiCi Marrero, Mauricia Nicholson, Kellean St. Clair, and Audia Sullivan were named to the All-Tournament Team. Lincoln Memorial’s Danielle Dos Santos and Kristen Boujos were named the GSC Tournament Co-Most Outstanding Players. Top of PageLincoln Memorial Men Win First GSC Title Third-seeded Lincoln Memorial claimed its first Gulf South Conference Men's Soccer Tournament Championship Sunday in dramatic fashion, beating #1 seed Central Arkansas, 2-1 (5-4 shoot-out). The shootout victory was the first-ever in a GSC men's Championship game and only the fourth time a GSC Tournament match has needed one to decide the winner. UCA's Blake Taylor scored the first goal of the match at 29:40 off a deflected shot. The Bears kept LMU off the scoreboard until late in the second half at 79:43 when Frederico Moojen chest-trapped a Jordan Green pass to the ground, firing one past UCA keeper Ian Goodman. After two overtimes of scoreless action, the match came down to penalty kicks. UCA had a 2-1 advantage after two attempts by each squad, but LMU responded with three straight scores to even it at 4-4 in the best of five series. The kicks went to one-on-one, both teams missing their first shot. UCA missed its second attempt, setting up LMU's Marcel Simo's game-winning shoot-out goal, sending the LMU team into a frenzy. Moojen was named Most Outstanding Player and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Leonardo de Barros and Diogo Silvy. Central Arkansas' Jimmy Nummy, Matt Marlin, Dillon Vedral and Goodman also made the squad followed by Montevallo duo Raven Keet and John Markey. Christian Brothers' Matt Werasko and Brad Whittsitt completed the top 11 competitors of the 2005 GSC Men's Soccer Tournament as selected by the head coaches. LMU's men and women's soccer teams both claimed the GSC trophy Sunday,
becoming the third school to accomplish the feat and first since 2000
(Christian Brothers) Top of PageTennessee, The Last SEC Team, Exits NCAAs The 11th-seeded Tennessee Lady Vol soccer team (17-5-2)
“I would like to congratulate Lori Walker and the Ohio State Buckeyes,” said Lady Vol Head Coach Angela Kelly. “They played a terrific game and deserved to win this match. No. 24 (Lara Dickenmann) is one of the best players in the country. I couldn’t be more proud of my team, and how well they’ve played this season, particularly my senior class. Those seniors took a chance on this program four years ago. I will always be grateful for them being here at Tennessee. The Orange & White seniors completed their careers with a sterling overall record of 63-22-6, four NCAA Tournament appearances, three NCAA Sweet 16 visits, three Southeastern Conference Eastern Division titles, two SEC regular-season crowns and two SEC Tournament championships, while helping the Tennessee program climb to national prominence. Lady Vol sophomore midfielder Ali Christoph (Columbus, Ohio) opened the NCAA Sweet 16 contest with a blast off the opening kickoff that made its way down to Ohio State goalkeeper Emily Haynam. nfortunately for the Lady Vols, that effort would be the best scoring chance over the opening few minutes of the first half as OSU began providing a solid offensive attack. The Buckeyes’ Lisa Grubb launched a blast high
over the top of the net at 2:22 and provided more pressure just seconds
later as the forward made a run up the right wing checked by Lady Vol
senior defender Keeley Dowling (Carmel, Ind.), and tried
a cross to the middle that was corralled by Tennessee goalkeeper Vanessa
Phillips-Bosshart (Vernon, Conn.). The play seemed to fire up the Lady Vols as the UT offense began to attack in waves over the next few minutes. A strong run by freshman Genna Gorman (Lakewood, Colo.) forced a long UT throw-in from the right side. Senior midfielder Sue Flamini (Cranford, N.J.) launched a ball to Gorman who directed a header on net at 10:56 that was saved by Haynam for the Lady Vols’ initial shot of the match. After Phillips-Bosshart returned to the contest at 14:37, UT again made an offensive push as a cross by UT rookie Emily Redberg (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) was blocked out in front. She recovered her own rebound and fired a left-footed lazer that went high of the net. In the back-and-forth battle, the Buckeyes swung possession again as
OSU’s Grubb controlled a loose ball in the box and flicked it high
in the air with her right foot. The ball drifted just a little too far
as it landed out of In the 24th-minute Dickenmann made another strong run up the right wing that forced Phillips-Bosshart to come off her line, however, the UT netminder was unable to corral the loose ball in front as Grubb took possession on the right side. Two Lady Vol defenders managed to check the OSU forward and keep her from getting off a clean shot. Just minutes later, Orange & White midfielder Kayla Lockaby (Hamilton, Ohio) received a feed from Redberg in front but fanned on her shot as the ball was cleared out towards the midfield. Christoph took control about 20 yards out and launched a low liner that was blocked by the Ohio State defense. Perhaps UT’s best chance for a first half goal came at 40:36 off
a long At 41:23 the Lady Vols dodged a bullet as Dickenmann made another run up the right side checked closely by two UT defenders. As the trio reached the right edge of the box, Dowling ‘s feet got tangled and she went down as the OSU midfielder drilled a shot that traveled all the way across the mouth of the goal and out of play for a UT goal kick. The two squads would head to the halftime break knotted at 0-0. Ohio State applied some pressure out of the locker room as the Buckeyes’ Danielle Dietrich fired a 10-yard shot that Phillips-Bosshart was forced to save. However, the Lady Vols would control the majority of the action in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. After two offside calls neutralized the Scarlet & Gray attack, UT
missed a The Orange & White had several quality opportunities over the next few minutes as a shot by Flamini sailed high and two blasts by Gorman traveled just wide of the net. In the 68th-minute, Ohio State almost got on the scoreboard as Kathy Fulk made a move past a UT defender and raced in on net only to meet a sliding Phillips-Bosshart who neutralized the scoring chance. After a Lockaby shot went well wide for UT, the Buckeyes managed to break the scoreless tie as OSU’s Grubb dribbled the ball between two UT defenders and launched a shot over Phillips-Bosshart’s right shoulder to give Ohio State a 1-0 advantage at 80:34. Now forced to press for an equalizer, the Lady Vols mounted a strong attack over the final nine minutes as a header in the box by Dowling was saved by Haynam. Lockaby forced a UT corner kick with a tough run up the right wing, but the ball served by Flamini into the box was successfully headed out of harm’s way by the Buckeyes. A last ditch chance for Tennessee at 89:42 came as a result of solid effort by Flamini as she outworked several Ohio State defenders and served a ball into the box to Patterson for a header that unfortunately drifted just wide of the goal. SCORING SUMMARY OSU: Lisa Grubb (Emily Francis), 80:34 Shots: Tennessee 14, Ohio State 14. Officials: Hilario Grejeda (Referee), Top of PageFarragut, CAK, MUS Win Tennessee Titles Knoxville prep teams took home two Tennessee high school boys' soccer championships, while the third was won by hometown Memphis University School during the annual Spring Fling tournament at the Mike Rose Soccer Center in Memphis. Farragut High School picked up its second consecutive Class AAA championship with a 5-0 win over Oak Ridge. While nine Oak Ridge seniors were playing for the state soccer championship, their classmates were graduating 400 miles away. Christian Academy of Knoxville beat Lenoir City 3-1 for the A/AA state title. The loss ended the 18-year coaching career of Lenoir City veteran coach Marvin Martin, 61, who are retiring. The Division II championship went to Memphis University School with a 2-0 win over University School of Nashville. Brian Evans' penalty kick was the game-winner, for the Owls, who eliminated defending champion Christian Brothers and Knoxville Catholic on the way to the finals. Farrago pushed its record to 24-2 with its second straight state title. Aaron Doyle scored two first-half goals and the Admirals used their bench, making nearly 45 substitutions, in beating Oak Ridge for the third time this year. "It's a shame the season has to stop," said Farrago head coach Willie Colbert. "We're playing some great soccer." Cake's victory was also its second straight state championship and got on the scoreboard first with Jason Bowman's 28th minute goal. Lenoir City tied it just before halftime on a header from Quinton Gallagher. Sophomore Bonnet Giles scored the game-winner off an assist from Bowman four minutes into the second half. Top of PageRandy Johnson, Vanderbilt's men's soccer coach since the beginning of the program in 1973, has resigned his position effective July 1. A 1971 Vanderbilt graduate, he had coached the Commodores for 29 years. Johnson's career at Vanderbilt was marked by numerous "firsts" as he guided the program into the present Missouri Valley Conference association. In 1996 his team won the Sunbelt Conference championship and set a school record with 13 victories. Johnson also coached the Vanderbilt women's program for its first four years of its existence in the 1980's. His career record with the men's team was 255-241-43. "I take great pride in my accomplishments here -- taking a club team to varsity status and then into a strong contending position as a member of one of the top conferences in the country," Johnson says. "It is with some difficulty that I step down as this has not just been a job for me but rather, a passion. I wish the team the highest level of success in the future." Top of PageTennessee Prep Soccer
Loses Biggest Advocate Brentwood’s Barry Redmond, a longtime advocate for high school soccer and the co-founder of the Student Sports Fab 50 soccer rankings, died March 13 following a brief illness. He was 57 years old. Redmond, is survived by his wife, Jane Redmond, three daughters, Glenna Redmond, Nancy Redmond and Allysun Redmond, one granddaughter, Charly Redmond, and two sisters, Nancy Mitchell and Lynnelle Kelley. Redmond’s passing is a great loss to high school soccer, especially in his home state of Tennessee. He was a longtime member of the National Soccer Coaches Association and routinely attended the annual NSCAA conventions. He served as the rankings coordinator for the fall girls soccer East Region the past few years, and it is believed he is the only non-coach to ever hold a rankings position in the NSCAA. Redmond, who lived in the Nashville area, ran the Tennessee Challenge Cups for boys and girls soccer, which brought together many of the region’s and nation’s top fall girls and spring boys teams. This year’s spring Challenge Cup will be renamed in Redmond’s honor, but the future of the event is in question, even though Redmond had already began working on the fall 2001 edition. A group of coaches in Tennessee have worked together to make sure this spring’s tournament goes off without a hitch. The Redmond family has set up a memorial soccer scholarship fund, as well. Redmond’s interest in soccer started when his daughters played as youths and he stuck with it long after they had graduated from high school. He ran the PA system during games at a local high school and the state tournament, and he remained a strong supporter of Overton High School’s programs. He started a Tennessee soccer newsletter - the Tennessee Soccer Report, which he later trademarked. Single-handedly, he helped elevate the awareness for Tennessee high school soccer, and after he completed that task, he joined with Student Sports in the fall of 1999 to start on a project of similar design on a national level. Redmond’s impact on the national scene was immediate. Through his position covering girls soccer with Student Sports, Redmond was able to share his vast knowledge with a national soccer community, as well as help steer the direction of the sport in some small way. In fact, many girls soccer tournaments with a regional or national flavor have Redmond’s thumb print somewhere - either in helping the organizer identify prospective teams or convincing high school coaches to attend one of the events. “All too often our cynical side allows us to question the motives and agendas of people’s actions,” said Kevin Sims, the coach at Girls Prep (Chattanooga, Tenn.). “Nobody had any such questions regarding Barry. His love for the game and his appreciation for what it meant in his family set his agenda: promote the game and the players. His Tennessee rankings encouraged the best teams across the state to compete against one another, while his Tennessee Challenge Cup encouraged the best teams in the region and the country to compete against one another. “The increased push for quality competition put Tennessee soccer on the radar screen and brought state, regional and national recognition to deserving players, teams and schools. Ultimately, the beautiful game and the players were the winners.” Even after Redmond took ill in late January, he never wavered in his desire to stay active in the national soccer scene. He helped arrange tournaments from his hospital bed. When it came to rankings, he cared for accuracy and fairness. In fact, he died just hours after finalizing the weekly girls soccer rankings March 13. Redmond touched the lives of many. He certainly will be missed, not only by the staff of Student Sports but by the national soccer community, as well. Top of PageUNC's Patrick Transfers to Tennessee Head coach Angela Kelly and the Lady Vol soccer team received a boost to its 2001 fortunes with the announcement that forward Kim Patrick has transferred to Tennessee after two seasons at the University of North Carolina. Last season, as a freshman, Patrick led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring with 42 points and in goals with 18 although she started barely half of Carolina's games. Other 1999 accolades included being a consensus first-team freshman All-America selection after leading the Tar Heels in both goals scored and total points. This season, the Pleasanton, Ca. native tied with fellow forward Susan Bush as the Heels' third-leading scorer with nine goals and six assists. She also played a crucial role in the NCAA Women's College Cup semi-final, scoring the equalizer against Notre Dame. Patrick arrived in Knoxville for the spring semester and began classes on Wednesday, January 10. Top of PageJanuary 2001 Notes Jimmy Weekley, boys head coach at The Baylor School in Chattanooga, has been named the NSCAA/adidas Region Coach of the Year for the South Region among Private/Parochial schools. Weekley will be honored at the NSCAA convention this month in Indianapolis, and has been nominated for National Coach of the Year Four Tennessee girls have been named to the NSCAA/adidas Girls High School Scholar Athlete Team. They are among 32 players chosen nationwide. Those are: Kathryn Givens (3.98 GPA), who plays for Jeff Serbin at Mt. Juliet HS; Ashley Hickman (4.27 GPA), who plays for Bill McCloskey at Dobyns-Bennett HS. Lori Boren (3.99 GPA), who plays for O.J. Sheppard at Oak Ridge HS; and Emily Hertzog (3.96 GPA), who plays at Girls’ Preparatory School for Kevin Sims Memphis’ Cindy Parlow missed the last two games of the U.S. National Team’s Glory Tour after having surgery on her foot to relieve a nerve problem. Parlow will play this summer with the WUSA’s Atlanta Beat Scott Blount, a junior goalkeeper at Furman from Brentwood, has been named first team NSCAA/adidas Men’s Collegiate Scholar All-American. Blount has a 3.52 GPA in Economics. Peter Rosenblatt (Maryville) and Justin Stralka (Memphis) have been named to the third team. Rosenblatt has a 3.00 GPA in Mechanical Engineering, while Stralka has a 3.67 GPA in Marketing Vanderbilt senior defenders Laurie Black and Kate Elia have been named to teams in the 2001 Umbro Select All-Star Classic, Feb. 1-4, in Fort Lauderdale, FL Chris Price has joined the Tennessee State Soccer Association as the Director of Recreational Development. He will also be the girls state ODP coach. He has served as assistant coach at Vanderbilt and Belmont universities and as an “A” license coach he brings the total to three in the state office who hold that license. The others are Executive Director Manny Sanchez and Ajit Korgaokar, the state Director of Coaching University of Tennessee assistant soccer coach Sarah Dacey was drafted by the WUSA’s Carolina Tempest, which also drafted Vanderbilt senior Asta Heladottir. Top of PageOak Ridge boys coach Dennis Rush, 49, has announced that he will step down after 27 years of coaching at the end of the 2001 spring season. Rush (324-91-27) is the state’s winningest high school soccer coach Lipscomb will move up to Division I in the fall of 2002 Jessica Gjertsen, a forward at the University of Memphis, has been named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year. Going into tournament play she leads the league in points (40), goals (18) and goals per game (0.90) Tennessee’s Rhian Wilkinson (Quebec) has been named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. Wilkinson scored 12 goals and added nine assists for 33 points The Tennessee Rhythm is no more! The Nashville-based A-League team will compete at that level once again, but is moving back home to Ezill Park and will once again play as the Nashville Metros. For the last two years the team has played at Battle Ground Academy. The franchise as been part of the USL for 11 years, starting as an indoor team in 1990 Scott Hanger of Tusculum College, who led the Pioneers in goals scored and points, was named the men’s South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year. Tusculum goalkeeper Rachel Barron, who had a 1.37 gaa, has been named SAC Freshman of the Year, while Carson-Newman head coach Allen Vital as been named the SAC women’s Coach of the Year Franklin HS coach Jimmy Burchett announced his team awards with Brittney Potts named offensive MVP, Katy Rayburn the defensive MVP and Natalie Dunham the team MVP. Burchett’s twin daughters, Jenger and Jennifer, are former outstanding players at Vanderbilt University. Top of PageTurgeon Leads Nation In Scoring Back-to-back losses to UNC Greensboro in the Southern Conference final and to Duke (3-1) in the first round of the NCAA playoffs left Furman with a 20-3 season and a lot of records. Freshman Emily Turgeon (Raleigh) is the nation’s leader in total points. She scored 23 goals and had 17 assists for 63 points. She became the first player in Southern Conference women’s soccer history to be honored as Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season. Turgeon’s offensive output is one of the most impressive among freshmen in NCAA Division I history. She finished four points shy of the third best freshman scoring output ever, and is one of only three fresmen to register on the all-time NCAA single season points leader chart of 67 or more points. During the season Turgeon scored a goal or an assist in 18 of Furman’s 23 matches and shattered the Furman single season goals and points records of 13 goals and 43 points. "Emily came in and exceeded all expectations," said Furman head coach Brian Lee. "I think she has proven that she is certainly one of the best freshmen in the national and one of the best players in the region." Turgeon has been nominated for at least one national Freshman of the Year award. Soccer Buzz has her, Clemson’s Lindsay Browne, Florida State’s Emma Breland, Aleisha Cramer (BYU), Penn State’s Joanna Lohman, Boston College’s Sarah Rahko, UNC’s Alyssa Ramsey, Hartford’s Cindy Welsh and Marcie Ward of Stanford as finalists for that honor. But don’t think Turgeon was the only offensive weapon Furman had this year. Her roommate, Danielle Petro (Lilburn) had 15 goals and eight assists, and junior Melissa Turner (Marietta) with 18 goals and 13 assists was #10 on the national list for total points (49) and #16th in points per match. As a team the Paladins were third nationally in scoring and third in winning percentage. Top of PageRidgeway, Franklin, BGA Win State Titles Two of the TSSAA soccer state finals were as close as you can get. The third wasn’t close at all. Franklin used a second half goal by Brittney Potts to defeat Farragut 1-0 for the AAA girls state championship, while Battle Ground Academy went to overtime before Kassidy Brown got the game-winner for a 2-1 win over the Baylor School for the Division II title. Ridgeway, picking up the championship in the A/AA final, rolled over Chattanooga Christian 6-2 behind four goals by sophomore Geneil Newbern, who was named the tournament’s MVP. AAA Championship Knoxville’s Farragut downed Germantown 1-0 in one semifinal in a shootout (4-2) after the two teams had played to a 0-0 draw through overtime. Courtney Wolf’s PK was the game-winner. Germantown had eliminated defending champion Houston in the regionals. Franklin shutout Tullahoma 5-0 in the other semifinal. In the championship game Franklin held a 15-4 shots advantage over Farragut and forced the Knoxville keeper, Ann Zimo, to make eight saves. Franklin’s Potts was named MPV of the AAA tournament. A/AA Championship Ridgeway totally dominated the bracket, beating USJ 10-0 in the opening round and then shutting out Donelson Christian Academy 6-0 in the semifinal. Newborn had three goals in that win, while Ashley Easton added two. In the other semifinal Chattanooga Christian used an eighth-minute goal by Beth Bailey and solid defense to beat Kingston 1-0. Ridgeway goalkeeper Casey Thornton only had to make one save in the last two games. Division II Championship Battle Ground Academy edged St. Benedict 3-2 in the quarterfinals and then stopped Evangelical Christian School 5-0 in the semifinals. Brown and Nan Waldkirch, the latter named the tournament’s MVP, both had two goals in that win. Baylor blanked Father Ryan 3-0 in the quarters and then reached the title game with a 3-1 win over Harpeth Hall. Kathleen Serck gave HHHS a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, but Baylor came back with three unanswered goals by Katie Feismar, Ashley Murphy and Beth Felts. In the championship game BGA outshot Baylor 14-6, and BGA goalkeeper Ashleigh Orme was called on to make four saves, while Betsy Weeks made six for Baylor. AAA All-Tournament Team Franklin: Brittney Potts, Jessica Bransford, Katie Jackson, Natalie Dunham, Amanda Martin. Farragut: Alli Zimmer, Liz Bickford, Mimi Couns, Ann Zimo. Germantown: Lindsey Williams. Tullahoma: Ann Shelton. A/AA All-Tournament Team DCA: Courtney Dunlap, Kelsey Norris. Kingston: Michelle Thompson, Whitney Brackins. Chattanooga Christian: Emily Ott, Beth Bailey. Tullahoma: Geneil Newbern, Ashley Eason, Madeline Bobo, Rebecca Press, Megan Mattei. Division II All-Tournament Team ECS: Allie Etter. Harpeth Hall: Abigail Markham. BGA: Nan Waldkirch, Becca Murray, Brittany Bingham, Kassidy Brown, Riley Spain. Baylor: Kim Faerber, Beth Felts, Talia Wright, Catherine Krug. Top of PageESP Program Headed To Tennessee From June 27 through July 10, some of the best high school soccer players in the United States will gather in Memphis, TN for the ESP Program., This program offers them an accelerated training program designed to combined high-level soccer instruction, academic skills training, and an opportunity to be seen by the hundreds of college and national team scouts who annually flock to the event. Adidas Elite Soccer Program is officially sanctioned US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program event which provides high school soccer players with an opportunity to further develop as players, students and people. The Adidas ESP for Girls will be conducted from June 27 to July 2, while the ESP for Boys is slated for July 5-10. The University of Memphis and the Mike Rose Soccer Complex is the site of both the boy's and girl's programs. The keynote speaker for ESP for Girls is University of Tennessee head women's basketball coach Pat Summit, who has led the Lady Vols to six NCAA championships. She also coached the USA to a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. At the bare minimum, the Adidas ESP will give players an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of hundreds of soccer coaches, including NCAA Division I, II and II, NJCAA and Olympic Development Program regional and national team scouts. In turn, it provides coaches the best environment to identify the next generation of elite players in the United States. Adidas’ Elite Soccer Program was developed to educate elite youth players and impress upon them what it takes to advance to higher levels. Essentially, Adidas ESP will bring together the best 150 high school age players from across the country to one facility to compete against each other. The players are selected to attend ESP after a nationwide search conducted by a team of scouts including national team staff coaches, as well as ODP regional and club coaches. The athletes will be treated to a week of intense soccer training and off-field classes including daily academic courses, in areas such as SAT Math and Verbal Preparation, Essay Writing for the SAT and College applications, Analytical Thinking, and Sports Psychology. Participants, many of whom have represented the United States in international competition, come from all over the country. Each day is carefully planned to provide an enlightened, rigorous, but fun, platform to accelerate each player's learning curve and to expand his or her understanding of the game at the next level. Soccer training is run by a staff of some of the world's most qualified coaches, including Ernst Thaler of the German Soccer Federation, who holds a Professional League Coaching License. Also on staff is Roy Rees, a USSF A Licensed coach who holds an English Full Badge; Jack Gallagher, a full FIFA Instructor; Andy Moran, coach of the Northern Ireland Under-18 Schools National Team; Rob Ramsey, the coach of the Northern Ireland U-18 Schools National Team; and director of Curriculum for ESP Bob McNabb, who holds an English Full Badge. Top of PageRhythm Holds Tryout In Memphis Do you think you got game? At least three Memphis prospects are getting close scrutiny from new Rhythm head coach Brett Mosen, who said he still has roster spots open for the 2000 squad pending the Memphis tryouts. Local Rhythm prospects include the team’s 2000 A-League territorial draft choice Brian Covey, a four-year starting goalkeeper for the University of Memphis. Covey holds the school record for most consecutive shutout games (5). Also on the prospect list is UM high-scoring forward Steven Brooks and former UM midfielder Rogerio Lima, who played last year for two A-League teams. Two Memphis natives played key roles for the Rhythm in their 1999 inaugural season. Team co-captain Doug Schenkel, a graduate of Christian Brothers University, and Danny DeVall, who played at Memphis, both started in the midfield for the Rhythm. Schenkel is expected to re-sign with the team in the coming days, while negotiations with DeVall are ongoing. "We’re coming to Memphis to hold tryouts because it is a strong soccer community, all the way from youth recreational leagues to its collegiate programs," Mosen said. Mosen has scheduled tryouts from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Feb. 26 at UM’s Echles Field and hopes to complete the team roster prior to the start of training camp on March 6. Area players interested in participating in the tryouts should contact Mosen at the Rhythm office, (615) 591-9545, or by e-mail at franklinfc@aol.com. Players will need to provide a soccer resume to participate in the tryouts. The Memphis trip will also mark the opening of the Rhythm’s preseason matches with a 7:00 p.m. exhibition on Feb. 25 against the University of Memphis. The Rhythm is looking to contend for the A-League playoffs this year after its 11-17 inaugural campaign in 1999. The A-League is the top minor league in American soccer, just a step below Major League Soccer. The Rhythm is scheduled to open the 2000 campaign on April 21 on the road against the New Orleans Storm. The first home game is tentatively set for April 29 against the Indiana Blast. All Rhythm home games are played at Battle Ground Academy Stadium on Columbia Avenue in Franklin. Although Mosen wasn’t with the Rhythm during its inaugural season, his job as assistant coach of theA-League’s Hampton Roads Mariners last year gives him plenty of experience in selecting and training top players. Mosen, no stranger to the area, was the coach of the former Nashville Metros in 1995 "I know the league and the division we’re in and I’ve got a mental picture of the type of player we’ll need to be competitive. We have needs in every area. Obviously, we’re always looking for exciting players who can score a lot of goals," Mosen said. Among the most immediate needs for the second-year squad is the replacement of its two goalkeepers from last year, both of whom signed with competing A-League squads during the off-season. Mosen said he was impressed with Covey, who participated in a recent tryout in Nashville. While starting 71 of 77 games in goal in his collegiate career for Memphis, Covey etched his name into the Tiger record book for numerous accomplishments. His 1.08 gaa was second best in the schools history, as was his career saves total of 355. He also had 15 career shutouts. Brooks, another four-year starter for the Tigers, was a leading scorer and solid all-around player who received numerous honors for his play from Conference USA. Lima, a native of Brazil, left Memphis in 1999 to pursue a pro career. During the 1999 season he played for both the Long Island Rough Riders and the Hampton Roads Mariners. Following the exhibition game against the University of Memphis, the Rhythm will travel to Bowling Green for a game on Saturday, March 4. The team is scheduled for a closed scrimmatge with the MLS Colorado Rapids on Sunday, March 12, in Memphis. The Rhythm have tentative matches on March 18 against Lindsey Wilson College at the Williamson County Soccer Complex and the following day against the PDL Chicago Sockers at Ezell Park in Nashville. Top of PageJanuary 2000 Notes Allison Campbell, a forward from Livonia, MI, who was the Tennessee Lady Vols’ leading scorer last year, has tranferred back home to Central Michigan University...... Marisha Crowe, a defender for Germantown High School (Memphis) has signed a soccer grant with Florida State. Crowe plays for the Memphis Fury.... Alan Woods, a Clemson defender who was drafted by Dallas in the MLS Super Draft, played last summer with the Premier Developement League Clarksville Gunners...... It will be a long day!Vanderbilt will host a triple header on Saturday April 15 that has the A-League Tennessee Rhythm playing Vanderbilt at 11:00 am, the University of Memphis at 1:00 pm and the University of Alabama Birmingham at 3:00 pm...... The Tennessee State Soccer Association has hired Ajit Korgaokar as the state association’s new Director of Coaching. Korgaokar, a native of England, replaces Manny Sanchez who assume the responsibilities of Executive Director last fall..... Ashley King, Tennessee prep Player of the Year, has signed with the University of Georgia. King is a forward/midfielder at Germantown HS. King’s Germantown teammate Emily Allwardt, a defender, has signed with the University of Houston..... Joy Dixon, a defender/midfielder at Red Bank HS in Chattanooga has signed with Jacksonville State...... The 2000 Annual General Meeting of the East Tennessee Soccer Federation will be held Tuesday evening, April 4 (7:00 pm) at the Indoor Area in Johnson City....... The Williamson County Soccer Association has announced the winners of its annual Referee of the Year awards. Raven McMurray was named the Female ROY and Jared Holland was selected the Male ROY. Top of PageCarey Talley, the former Memphis FC defender who starred at UNC Chapel Hill, earned a starting role on defense with D.C. United this year. Talley started all six of United playoff games...... Tony Kuhn, the former Vanderbilt All-American, was one of 22 MLS players recently placed on waivers. Kuhn was waivered by the Miami Fusion......... Three Tennessee players were invited to participate in the Inter-Regional ODP tournament in Cocoa, FL over Thanksgiving. They were Matthew Bogan (85s) and Jacob German and Matt Bryant (83s)...... Lars Thorsten (Norway), a sophomore forward from Lambuth University has been named first team NAIA All-America. Milligan’s Florence Omagbemi and Mercy Akide, both members of Nigeria’s World Cup team, made second and third team NAIA All-America, respectively...... University of Tennessee sophomore forward Allison Campbell has been named to the NSCAA All-Central Region third team. She is the first Lady Vol to earn all-region recognition more than once. Tennessee closed its season 8-11-1 after a first round loss to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament.... The Clarkesville Gunners, were a first-year Premier Devlopment League (USL amateur) team a year ago, and already they have moved. Next year they will play in Hopkinsville...... The Tennessee Rhythm is set to begin its second A-League season, and has again been assigned to play in the Central Division against its traditional rivals, including New Orleans.... Two Tennesse players have been named NCAA Division II All-America: Francis Marion’s Dzevat Nikocaj (Johnson City) and (Bristol). Top of PageDave Moore, LOBOS tournament director for the Wolf River Classic soccer tournament in Collierville, TN, recently had some rule additions for coaches at registration. An incident several weeks prior to the Wolf River Classic in Tennessee prompted the new rules. The mother of a soccer parent allegedly attacked one of the female center officials after a game. "We added a new set of rules to our tournament concerning harassment of referees," said Bob Caulk, chairman of the LOBOS Committee "We decided to risk angering our entrants for the good of the game." The rules were simple enough. Some were similar to those used by other tournaments. Each team and supporters were to be positioned on opposite sides of the field. The head coach of each team was instructed prior to each game that he/she was responsible for the sportsmanlike behavior of the families and supporters. In particular, harassment of the referees would not be tolerated. Harassment was meant to include dissent. Here’s the "kicker." Coaches and captains of each team were to meet with the center official at midfield to be apprised of the new rules. Coaches and team captains would be given a few minutes after this meeting to explain these rules to families and supporters before the start of the game.
If another incident occurred the coach would be ejected from the field for that game. "Thankfully, 88 of 89 coaches entered in our tournament loved the idea," said Caulk. "We had the quietest, most respectful tournament in our seven-year history. "Instead of four fights we had four MLS-style shootouts in the finals. We also received hundreds of positive comments from participants on the pleasant atmosphere. "We parents must take the initiative to correct a growing problem in the game our children love to play. Unsportsmanlike behavior that detracts from the game must be stopped. "We believe this first step will accomplish that goal." Top of PageMilligan College, TN – Milligan College has announced the signing of Nigerian World Cup stars Mercy Akide and Florence Omagbemi to athletic scholarships to play soccer for the Lady Buffs this fall. The signing took place July 2 in Washington, D.C., the day after Nigeria was beaten by Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Akide, 23, the Super Falcons’ leading scorer coming into the World Cup, with 10 goals in qualifying, is one of the most acclaimed players on the Nigerian team. The 5-11 attacking midfielder is featured on the cover and in an article in the FIFA Women’s World Cup official program. She represented Nigeria earlier this year in the FIFA All-Stars’ 2-0 victory over the USA. Nicknamed Marvelous Mercy, she scored eight goals in the 1998 African Women’s Football Championships last fall, including three against Egypt. Omagbemi, 24, is Nigeria’s defensive midfielder and playmaker. She has played the all three of FIFA’s World Cup championships for women and was captain of Nigeria’s team in Sweden in 1995. She made her debut in 1991 during qualifying for the World Championship in China at the age of 16. Omagbemi, nicknamed Skippo, will major in business at Milligan, as will Akide. Both are expected to remain in the Nigerian National Team program, which has earned one of the eight spots in the soccer competition at the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia. Milligan is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Northeast Tennessee and is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Lady Buffs will begin only their third season of intercollegiate soccer this August as a member of the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference. Top of PageAndre Fowlkes (Memphis) has been named captain of the 1999 Iona College (NY) men’s soccer team. Fowlkes, who played for the Memphis FC U-20 Region III championship team last summer, was named to the MAAC Conference all-tournament team, leading the Gaels to the semifinals...... Tracie Foels, who played her high school soccer in Knoxville before having an outstanding playing career at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has been named the new women’s head coach at High Point University. Foels, who was a Division II All-America at UNCG, recently completed her Master of Arts degree in Sports Administration at UNC Chapel Hill. She replaces Heather Puckett, who recently was named the women’s head coach at East Tennessee State University..... Laura Phillips (Nashville) and Audrey Troutt (Gallatin) have signed soccer grants with Belmont College...... Final plans are in and the first phase of the Shelby county Soccer Complex should get underway this summer. That involves the construction of the 8,500-seat stadium. With additional funding from the Shelby County Commission, the project currently valued at $9 million will become close to a $20 million venue..... The Williamson County Soccer Association has awarded four county high school seniors $500 scholarships. Those are Father Ryan’s Kimberly Carole Wolff (UT Chattanooga), Franklin H.S.’s John Philip Martin (Alabama/Birmingham), Franklin H.S.’s Shelley Rappe (UT Knoxville), and Fairview H.S.’s Ryan Lassan (Belmont U.)....... The Tennessee State Soccer Association is considering moving its state office from Cleveland to Williamson County and the Nashville area. Houston, McCallie, Christ Presbyterian Win Houston, McCallie and Christ Presbyterian came away with TSSAA state soccer championships to conclude the annual Spring Fling. The championship games, originally scheduled for Chattanooga’s Findley Stadium, were moved to Red Bank High School. Class AAA Champs Houston, coached by Mike Irby, ripped Science Hill 4-0 in the Class AAA final, getting a pair of goals in each half. Kyle Roberts had three of those, scoring in the 8th, 55th and 69th minute. That earned him MVP honors for the game. Houston, ranked #2 nationally in the NSCAA spring prep poll, edged Hendersonville 2-1 in the semifinal with second half goals by David Ridenhour and Austin Oyler. Science Hill scored second half goals by Lucas Coelho and Kpudeh Muingbeth to top Red Bank in the other semifinal match. Class A-AA State Champs Christ Presbyerian completed and 18-1-2 Cinderella season with a 1-0 victory over Ridgeway for its first state title. Daniel Collins got the game-winner in the 46th minute. Christ Presbyterian, coached by Brett Armstrong, reached the championship game with a 1-0 shootout win over Lenoir City, a former state champion. Ridgeway beat Chattanooga Christian 4-1 in the other semifinal game. Division II State Champs McCallie downed arch rival Baylor 1-0 for the Division II state title on a 46th minute goal by Render Thomas. McCallie edged Father Ryan 3-2 in one semifinal game, while Baylor shutout MUS 2-0 in the other. McCallie, coached by Kevin Sims, had lost 1-0 to Baylor in the East Region final, and had tied the Red Raiders 3-3 during the regular season. AAA All-Tourney Adam Pierce (Red Bank), Matt Swank (Hendersonville), Joe Carmack, (Hend-ersonville), Kpodah Muinbeh (Science Hill), Sabat Nikacaj (Science Hill), Kyle Rogberts (Houston), Andrew Rhodes (Houston), Austin Oyler (Houston), Nick Chantara (Houston), Daryl Sattler (Houston), Grant Paule (Houston). A/AA All-Tourney Luke Neder (Chattanooga Christian), Kurt Morris (Chattanooga Christian), Cody Muncy (Lenoir City), Justin Robbins (Lenoir City), Marc Bryant (Ridgeway), Phillip LaPuente (Ridgeway), Matt Bryant (Ridgeway), Tom Nelms (Christ Presbyterian Academy), Brian Phillips (Christ Presbyterian Academy), Daniel Collins (Christ Presbyterian Academy), Daniel Platt (Christ Presbyterian Academy). Division II Luke Peteveok (Father Ryan), Scott Hickerson (MUS), Joe Paden (Baylor), Kury Smith (Baylot), Timmy Brown (Baylor), Thomas Mills (McCallie), Brandon Waters (McCallie), Doug Belknap (McCallie), Paul Love (McCallie). Top of PageA number of former members of last year’s Nashville Metros have landed with new A-League teams. Included are John Smith with Rochester, Kalin Bankov with Minnesota, GK Randy Dedini with Pittsburg, and Steve Klein with Hershey....... Katherine Carroll, a senior forward at Brentwood H.S. and senior goalkeeper Daryl Sattler from Germantown’s Houston High have been named Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year award winners...... As of the first of May Vanderbilt had not hired a new head coach for its women’s soccer program...... Mike Joy, women’s coach at Tusculum, has raided the soccer-rich city of Cincinnati for a key part of his recruiting class. Coming to Greeneville this fall will be three players from Cincinnati’s Fairfield High School - Kara Eggleton, GK Jennifer Murphy and Andrea Venturino. Venturino’s older sister Amber, already plays for the Lady Pioneers..... Katie Ballard (Germantown) who was MVP of the state championship game last season, has signed to play college soccer at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina..... East Tennessee State has named Heather Puckett as its new women’s head coach. Puckett, who played collegiate soccer at UNC Greensboro, resigned as the head coach at High Point University to accept the ETSU position...... Erica LaShomb, who played at Greeneville High School in Greeneville, has signed with Clemson. LaShomb scored 120 goals in high school, the second all-time highest in Tennessee history. Her 54 assists is a Tennessee high school record...... Tony Kuhn, former Vanderbilt All-America and the school’s all-time scoring leader, was released earlier this year by the MSL champion Chicago Fire. He has been picked up by the New England Revolution and has started at midfield. Top of PageAfter sending the Pacific Division-leading San Diego Flash to a shootout last week one had to think that the first victory for the young Tennessee Rhythm wasn’t far behind. That victory came at home, May 8, at Battle Ground Academy with a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Riverhawks.Chris Howle, playing with an injured knee, scored a dramatic overtime game-winner in front of a Rhythm crowd of 1,050. The Rhythm, created out of the ashes of the Nashville Metros on the eve of the 1999 season by original Metro owners Devinder Sandhu, Lynn Agee and Dan Lucas, scored its first victory over the season during the fifth week of action in the A-League. With little preparation time before the season started, it was uncertain how the Rhythm would far in ’99. During a recent two-game road trip to the West Coast, the Rhythm suffered a narrow, 2-1 shootout loss to the Flash, which gave the club cause for optimism. The next night Tennessee fell to the Orange County Zodiac 5-1. "The trip definitely took its toll," said Rhythm Coach Rico Laise. "Other teams have had about eight weeks of conditioning and we’ve only had three. We gave it all we had, but the legs were getting a little weary in the second half of the Zodiac game." Shane Barrett, with his first goal of the season in the 5th minute, gave Tennessee an early lead over Cincinnati, but Mike Mossell tied it for the Riverhawks 17 minutes later. The game-winner came when Rhythm defender Ben Fisher tapped the ball out of a goal mouth crowd to a wide-open Howell, who put it past goalkeeper Chris Wanamaker in the third minute of overtime. The Rhythm continues its three-game homestand with back-to-back games against U.S. Pro 40 on May 13 and May 15. Top of PageThe Chicago Fire (MLS) has waivered former Vanderbilt All-America Tony Kuhn. Kuhn played in seven games for the Fire last year, but played mainly with the MLS Pro-40 team in the A-League.
Three women’s collegiate coaching positions are still open in Tennessee. Belmont University has yet to replace Kathleen Penner, East Tennessee State has not replaced Anne Moore, and the search is on for a replacement at Vanderbilt for Ken McDonald. Tennessee Tech has named Paul Hayes as its new women’s coach, replacing Qasim Shiekh, who is the new coach at Troy State. The Clarkesville Gunners, a new USL Premier Development League team, is in the process of holding tryouts. The Gunners are an amateur team and are expected to attract a competitive pool of collegiate and former collegiate players. The team will play its home games at Heritage Park in Clarkesville. Mark Collins is the team’s principal owner. Jessica Poppell, a defender from Knoxville’s Farragut HS is a member of Patrick Baker’s first recruiting class at Florida State. Ken McDonald’s resignation as head women’s coach at Vanderbilt left the program with a vacancy that would normally be attractive to a longtime assistant. That won’t work at Vandy because McDonald’s assistant for the last six seasons, Randy Evans, had already accepted the head coaching position at Oklahoma when McDonald stepped down. Tennessee-Martin has announced the signing of four recruits for its women’s program, two of whom are Tennessee natives. Those are goalkeeper Janet Carroll (Portland HS) and Memphis forward Jennifer Coleman (St. Agnus). The others are defender Amanda Cadell and goalkeeper Paige Robinson, teammates at Hazelwood West High School (Hazelwood, MO). Tricia Wiles, a Germanton forward/midfielder, who plays at Briarcrest HS, is headed to Southern Mississippi to play soccer this fall. Top of PageScience Hill, Ridgeway Are No.1 Defending AAA state champion Father Ryan has found the start of the boys high school season treacherous, dropping three of its first five games. The defending champs have dropped to #5 in the first high school rankings by The Soccer Report. Science Hill has roared off to a 6-0 start to take over the #2 AAA ranking. Brenton is second and once-beaten Houston is third. Ridgeway, off to a 3-0 start, has taken the #1 spot in the A/AA poll, after defending champion Lenoir City took an early loss. Lenoir City holds the #2 spot, followed by Boyd-Buchanan.
Top of PageThe rumors started last fall. The Nashville Metros were strong on the field, but playing in from of a lot of empty seats. Would they go? Would they stay? Would they work a deal with the baseball Nashville Sounds for a new stadium? Would they just take a year off? When the A-League didn’t give its blessing for a year’s sabbatical, the decision was made to play, but as the 1999 season got closer and closer it became clear that the Metros’ owners would not be willing to sustain 1998 level losses in ‘99. Three of the four owners voted to close down operations on March 23 and the Nashville Metros, first in the Central Division of the Western Conference with a 20-8 record last summer, was history. In a memo to team supporters Devinder Sandhu, one of the owners and the interim general manager, indicated that Columbia/HCA, the team’s primary sponsor last year, had reneged on its $90,000 commitment for this year. The Columbia funds were part of the sponsorship package that Steven Parker brought to the Metros when he became the majority owner two years ago. Loss of those funds was probably the last straw. However, Nashville will not be without A-League soccer this summer! Enter the Tennessee Rhythm which will play its game as Battle Ground Stadium, just south of Nashville in Franklin. "We are pleased that the original founders of the metros - Lynn Agee and Devinder Sandhu - have teamed up with Dan Lucas, another former metros owner, to operate the franchise for the coming season," said Francisco Marcos, commissioner of the A-League. Agee, who leads the Rhythm’s ownership group, was the only Metros board member to vote against suspending team operations. "We are determined to keep professional soccer in Tennessee and provide an exciting season for our fans in 1999," said Agee. "While pro soccer - like many areas of the country - has had its challenges here, our teams have always been a positive influence in the community. We are confident that the loyal core of professional soccer fans here will become fans of the Tennessee Rhythm." The Nashville franchise was founded under Agee and Sandhu in 1990 as an indoor amateur team in the Sun Belt Indoor Soccer League, a forerunner of the current United Soccer Leagues system. The team went outdoor in 1991, playing as an amateur club, and moved to the professional level in the USL Select League in 1995. For the last two years the Metros, under an ownership group headed by D. Steven Parker, has played in the A-League, U.S. professional soccer’s Division II league. Parker is not involved with the Rhythm, nor is Greg Peterson, who coached the Metros for the last two years. It is likely that the Rhythm will go back to its roots in building a roster. Prior to 1997 the Metros utilized the talents of a number of local college and ex-college players, as well as players from surrounding states. Among those who once played for the Metros are Tony Kuhn, now with the Chicago Fire; Richard Mulrooney, the #3 pick in the MLS player draft by San Jose; Tony Siikala, now a forward with the A-League’s Charleston Battery; Pasi Kinturi, a midfielder with the A-league Hampton Roads Mariners, and both Gabe Eastman and John Jones, now with the LA Galaxy of MLS. The Rhythm are scheduled to open the A-League schedule at home against the Indiana Blast on April 24. That game will be played at 3:30 pm at Franklin Road Academy in Nashville. Top of PageTennessee to Host U14 Symposium Tennessee will host the Region III U14 Symposium at the Mike Rose Complex in Memphis, April 16-17. According to Bob Moullin, National U14 coaching coordinator, this symposium is aimed specifically at coaches of U9 through U14 teams. The presenters during the symposium will be Moullin, Richard Bute (Region III Boys Head Coach) and Manny Sanchez, Tennessee Soccer’s Director of Coaching and Player Development. This event will also feature game observation and analysis of matches involving ODP teams, as well as top club teams. All competitive and recreational coaches are encouraged to attend this event to gain further education and ensure appropriate environments are provided young players. The cost of the symposium is $20 per coach and all coaches should register through the Tennessee State Office. The registration deadline is April 14. Top of PageKalli Kamholtz and Lauren Whitt, both of Nashville, are members of the U19 USYSA Girls ODP Select Team. Whitt is an Atlanta native and the goalkeeper at Vanderbilt University.... The Clarksville Gunners are a Nashville-based team that will compete in the USL’s amateur Premier Development League (formerly PDSL) this season..... Tennessee coach Charlie MacCabe has announced the signing of two players to letters of intent for the fall of 1999. Joining the Vols will be defenders Megan Chrismark (Collierville) and Cameron Conway (Knoxville). Chrismark is a two-time prep All-America from Houston High School, while was a two-time all-state defender at Bearden High School..... The Southern Shootout, an elite college showcase for U17 girls, will be held May 8-9 at Crockett Park in Brentwood. Invitations are being mailed to college coaches all over the country. Each team will be guaranteed four games. Contact Vicki Sanford (615) 373-5493 for more details about the event...... Ken Underwood of Bristol has been elected Vice President of Youth for Tennessee Soccer. He will serve on the Board of Directors, as well as the Executive Board of Tennessee Soccer....... Hume-Fogg High School soccer coach Harmon Hodge, whose Knights went all the way to the Class A/AA state finals, has been named Midstate Coach of the Year by The Tennessean, Region IV Coach of the Year, and State Coach of the Year by the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association. No Nashville public school had ever advanced to the state semifinals before Hume-Fogg made its run last fall. Hodge serves as Tennessee Soccer’s Middle District Director...... The Tennessee Academy of Science has named Dr. Barry Jones (Hendersonville) as their first Industrial Scientiest of the Year. Jones is a member of the TSSA coaching staff and is a USSF "A" license coach...... Joyce Lantz, former Executive Director of Tennessee Soccer, has left the state association after nearly six years. She recently achieved the distinction of Certified Liesure Professional from the National Recreation & Parks Association..... The next referee assignor course will be held March 27 at the University School in Nashville. Contact Steve Kravitz about registration. Top of PageThree individuals who have made outstanding contributions to soccer in the State of Tennessee were inducted into the Tennessee Soccer Hall of Fame. Honored were Gordon Redshaw of Cordova, Sepp Huber of Southaven, MS, and Devinder Sandhu of Nashville. The inductions were made during the 20th Anniversary Celebration dinner during the Tennessee Soccer Fair and Annual General Meeting at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center on February 6. A number of other contributors to the growth of soccer in Tennessee over the last 20 years were also recognized, including Doyle Davis, who currently resides in Marietta, GA, and Franco Mariutto, now a resident of Tampa Florida. For the first time four referees and four coaches were also recognized. Vicki Sanford (Girl’s COY), Scott Spencer (Boy’s COY), Rhomer "Zito" Aur (Men’s COY) and Pierre Langlois (Women’s COY) were honored. The Youth Referees of the Year in Tennessee are Amber Rose and Paul Journag and David Larkin and Cindi Love were honored as the Adult Referees of the Year. Top of PageA year ago the Memphis Mercury began play in the USL’s W-League. The team, which plays home games at the Mike Rose Soccer Stadium, advanced all the way to the W-1 League championship game, where they lost their first game of the season. With the demise of the A-League Nashville Metros, Tennessee’s professional soccer base, at least its semiprofessional base, shifts to Memphis. The Metros franchise was sold last year to a group of investors from New York, who moved the team to Hampton Roads, VA. Nashville is expected to field a PDL team this summer, which will at least play an abbreviated schedule. The Mercury will be back again in 2002 in the newly combined W-League, and will share Mike Rose Soccer Stadium with a new men’s team. The same ownership group that started the Mercury will field a USL Premier Development League men’s team. This will be a full amateur team, which will likely draw from the considerable collegiate talent in the Memphis area. The yet unnamed team, has signed its first player, forward Rogerio Lima, a Brazilian forward who has played in the A-League with the Long Island Rough Riders and Hampton Road Mariners. Toni Carbognani, who played in the North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos, will be the PDL’s head coach. Carbognani is currently the GSC/Fury Boys Coaching Director. Over the next two months the new team will be identifying players and holding tryouts. The team’s name will be released in the near future. Coach Scott Spencer will return at least eight of the players who had such an outstanding season last year, including high-scoring Missy Gregg. Gregg led the W-1 League in scoring a year ago, and this fall set a new NCAA Division II scoring record by finishing 75 goals as a junior at Christian Brothers University. “We are currently in discussions with collegiate players from around the U.S.,” said Spencer. “We have also re-signed last year’s captain, Claire Scanlan, who is a member of the Irish National team.” Scanlan was the 1999 Irish Footballer of the Year, and is currently playing for Leeds United in England. The first new player signed by Spencer is Caroline Thorpe, a 20-year old Irish National team player since the age of 16, who has played with both Arsenal and Leeds United in England. She was the 2000 Irish Footballer of the Year. “We can recruit players from around the country and world due to the new rules that allow us to provide paid housing and numerous coaching opportunities,” said Spencer. “Obviously, I feel we provide a soccer environment unlike any in the country for the summer months, as our goal is to prepare players for the WUSA (Women’s United Soccer Association).” Top of Page |
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Ross Paule (Cordova) scored the first goal of the season for the
Colorado Rapids in a 2-1 shootout loss to Los Angeles.